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Billie Eilish announced on January 14 that she is writing and performing the title song to the James Bond movie No Time to Die. She is the first teenager to write and sing a James Bond song at only 18 when the movie will hit theaters. The franchise has a history of going with hot current artists to perform the theme songs. That can often mean young singers, although sometimes established acts like Tina Turner, Madonna and Paul McCartney land the gig.
Here are some of the youngest singers to perform James Bond songs in the 58-year, 25 film history of the franchise (Never Say Never Again doesn’t count. Don’t @ me.) No Time to Die is in theaters April 10, 2020.
Shirley Bassey and Alicia Keyes were already nine years older than Billie Eilish when they sang James Bond songs
Shirley Bassey set the gold standard, pun intended, for James Bond song by singing about villain Goldfinger. Born in 1937, she sang her first of three James Bond songs for the 1964 release. She also sang “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971 and “Moonraker” in 1979.
Alicia Keys was the same age when she sang “Another Way to Die” from 2008’s Quantum of Solace. She was born in 1981. Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran was just shy of 27 when he sang “A View to a Kill.” He’d celebrate his birthday the October 1985 following the release of the film.
Lulu was 26 when she sang ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’
Roger Moore’s second James Bond film was actually based on on the last book author Ian Fleming wrote. It was published posthumously.
Born in 1948, Lulu sang about “The Man with the Golden Gun” in 1974, after her hit with the title track “To Sir With Love” in 1967 when she was a teenager like Billie Eilish.
Tom Jones was 25 when he sang ‘Thunderball’
Tom Jones has had such a storied history in music, it’s hard to remember he was the Billie Eilish of the ‘60s when he sang “Thunderball.” Born in 1940, he was 25 when he sang the 1965 film’s title song.
Following directly after Goldfinger, Jones belted out a similar brassy ballad and passed out holding that high note.
Adele was 24 when she sang ‘Skyfall’
Adele became the first James Bond singer to win an Oscar for her song for Skyfall in 2012. She was only 24 at the time, born in 1988, and already released “Someone Like You” and “Rolling in the Deep.”
Magne Furuholman of Ah-ha would’ve been 24 singing The Living Daylights, with a birthday the November after its 1987 release.
Sam Smith was 23 when he sang ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’
Sam Smith was the first James Bond singer born in the ‘90s. Billie Eilish tops them too with a birthday this century.
Smith’s birthday is May 19, 1992 and their song for Spectre came in 2015. They are the second Oscar-winner for a James Bond song.
Sheena Easton was the youngest before Billie Eilish
Before Billie Eilish, ‘80s rock star Sheena Easton was the youngest singer of a James Bond song for several decades. Born April 27, 1959, she sang the title song “For Your Eyes Only” for the 1981 film.
Hot off her UK hits “Modern Girl” and “9 to 5,” Easton was brand new to the Billboard charts. Hers was a slower, romantic James Bond song more akin to Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” or Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice.”
Written by: CheatSheet
